In honor of one of my favorite movies, Catch Me If You Can, I’m going to use a quote from one of Hollywood’s finest—Christopher Walken:

“Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn’t quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.” – Frank Abagnale Sr.

Most people strive to be the second mouse that Christopher Walken’s character mentions in the movie. I mean, why not? People want to succeed, earn respect and accomplish amazing feats. It’s a normal human desire.

Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with a getting a little help along the way, especially when it comes to hiring at your auto dealership. This rings true for hiring managers who are hiring purely off of “word of mouth” recruiting or by using limited resources. These types of hiring strategies severely lower your changes of finding quality candidates, as well as raise the probability of a higher turnover rate at your company. 

There’s a reason why most hiring managers use a hiring management system. According to a recent report from Software Advice, an HR and recruiting technology research firm, there are some important facts that highlight the significance of using a hiring management system in the recruiting business. In the report, Software Advice polled nearly 200 HR professionals about their current HR software usage. Here are some of their key findings:

• 89% of respondents were either “somewhat” or “very satisfied” with their software, making it clear that HR software is worth the investment.

• 44% of respondents plan to increase their investment in performance review applications in 2015.​​

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• 42% of respondents plan to increase their investment in personal tracking applications in 2015. 

They say numbers don’t lie. Hiring managers are taking a liking to using this type of software and it appears this trend is only growing.  So if you’re a hiring manager at an auto dealership looking for a more accurate hiring process, consider using some assistance from a hiring management system. You never know, it could help you become that second mouse one day…or at least recruit someone like that mouse.

Don’t miss out on HR software! Download this free whitepaper and see how you can improve your hiring process.

¹cul·ture noun \ˈkəl-chər\ : a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business). 

Well, that's one of three different definitions of what was recently named Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year: culture. The other meanings involve the arts and the cultivation of bacteria, so we'll stick with the business version. 

According to Peter Sokolowski, Editor for Merriam-Webster, "we're simply using the word culture more frequently. It may be a fad. It may not. It may simply be evolution." Culture has meant so many different things to all sorts of managers over the past year. While it may mean an air hockey table in the conference room to some, that's really not what will make or break your auto dealership.  

So then, what makes a good company culture? I recently read an Inc. article where founders from the Young Entrepreneur Council discussed the most persistent myths and what you can do to fix them. Here are the top seven biggest culture myths I took from the article:

1. Perks = Culture

"Many founders mistakenly think that fun perks automatically make for a good culture. Don't get me wrong--happy hours and catered lunches are great, but they're not going to keep employees happy unless you work to create a fundamental culture of respect. It's a lot easier to provide perks than it is to make sure that employees feel motivated and valued." -- Jared Feldman, Mashwork

2. Culture Doesn't Start With You

"Most managers don't realize that they are defining the culture by how they are behaving. Snap at people often? Anger will become part of your culture. Undermine your staff? Bureaucracy will invade your culture. Pretend everything is always amazing? You'll create a culture full of fakes. If you want a culture that is always evolving and becoming more beautiful, invest in doing so yourself." -- Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

3. Employee Feedback Isn't Important

"Some CEOs do not treat employee feedback as if it was as important as their own thoughts, because they are not viewed as equals. Though it is clear a CEO's role is more expansive then other positions, the culture of a company can be negatively affected if people's ideas and thoughts are suppressed. Each employee has a unique view of the organization, and the culture of sharing views is important to the company's success." -- Phil Chen, Systems Watch

4. Culture Doesn't Need to Be Defined

"Chris Wood of Paige Technologies says it best, 'Organizations are really only a representation of the people in them; employers must be diligent about mapping culture.' Products and services can be duplicated, but people can't. Your people drive your culture and they are the one defining difference of a company. CEOs forget to understand and define the culture that they have in place early on." -- Jason Grill, JGrill Media | Sock 101

5. Culture is Just a Set of Values

"We help many growing companies build culture, and the one thing most CEOs get wrong is forgetting to operationalize it. Culture isn't just a set of core values on the wall--it's a set of consistent behaviors. You have to be clear what those values look like in practice (we call them work rules) so current and future employees see culture in action and understand how works gets done in the company and align the company to them." -- Susan LaMotte, Exaqueo

6. You can't hire for culture

"You have to carefully select the type of people you add to your team if you're going for a particular culture. For instance, if you're a fashion company, you probably want to hire people that are actually passionate about fashion. It's good to have people with different ideas, but generally they should have a shared common interest. With that shared interest, you can build a culture that your team members and customers can get behind." -- Andy Karuza, Brandbuddee

7. Compensation is the only motivator

"Once they reach a certain salary, most non-sales employees could honestly care less about additional compensation. Employees work to feel needed, so remind them that they are your company. Recognize them, and make it public recognition." -- Justin Gray, LeadMD

One reference that caught Sokolowski's eye is from a book called "How Google Works," which includes a description of a software fix by a few engineers that made ads more relevant on the search engine:

"It wasn't Google's culture that turned those five engineers into problem-solving ninjas who changed the course of the company over the weekend," wrote the authors, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former head of product development Jonathan Rosenberg. "Rather it was the culture that attracted the ninjas to the company in the first place."

While these seven phrases are completely fabricated, the idea that culture is the key element to a successful business is 100 percent true. It's not just the people, but also their actions and so much more. Keep this in mind and you'll be part of the true meaning of this year's most popular word.  

For more information on how to build a team the right way, click here. 

¹cul·ture noun \ˈkəl-chər\ : a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business). 

Well, that's one of three different definitions of what was recently named Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year: culture. The other meanings involve the arts and the cultivation of bacteria, so we'll stick with the business version. 

According to Peter Sokolowski, Editor for Merriam-Webster, "we're simply using the word culture more frequently. It may be a fad. It may not. It may simply be evolution." Culture has meant so many different things to all sorts of managers over the past year. While it may mean an air hockey table in the conference room to some, that's really not what will make or break your auto dealership.  

So then, what makes a good company culture? I recently read an Inc. article where founders from the Young Entrepreneur Council discussed the most persistent myths and what you can do to fix them. Here are the top seven biggest culture myths I took from the article:

1. Perks = Culture

"Many founders mistakenly think that fun perks automatically make for a good culture. Don't get me wrong--happy hours and catered lunches are great, but they're not going to keep employees happy unless you work to create a fundamental culture of respect. It's a lot easier to provide perks than it is to make sure that employees feel motivated and valued." -- Jared Feldman, Mashwork

2. Culture Doesn't Start With You

"Most managers don't realize that they are defining the culture by how they are behaving. Snap at people often? Anger will become part of your culture. Undermine your staff? Bureaucracy will invade your culture. Pretend everything is always amazing? You'll create a culture full of fakes. If you want a culture that is always evolving and becoming more beautiful, invest in doing so yourself." -- Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

3. Employee Feedback Isn't Important

"Some CEOs do not treat employee feedback as if it was as important as their own thoughts, because they are not viewed as equals. Though it is clear a CEO's role is more expansive then other positions, the culture of a company can be negatively affected if people's ideas and thoughts are suppressed. Each employee has a unique view of the organization, and the culture of sharing views is important to the company's success." -- Phil Chen, Systems Watch

4. Culture Doesn't Need to Be Defined

"Chris Wood of Paige Technologies says it best, 'Organizations are really only a representation of the people in them; employers must be diligent about mapping culture.' Products and services can be duplicated, but people can't. Your people drive your culture and they are the one defining difference of a company. CEOs forget to understand and define the culture that they have in place early on." -- Jason Grill, JGrill Media | Sock 101

5. Culture is Just a Set of Values

"We help many growing companies build culture, and the one thing most CEOs get wrong is forgetting to operationalize it. Culture isn't just a set of core values on the wall--it's a set of consistent behaviors. You have to be clear what those values look like in practice (we call them work rules) so current and future employees see culture in action and understand how works gets done in the company and align the company to them." -- Susan LaMotte, Exaqueo

6. You can't hire for culture

"You have to carefully select the type of people you add to your team if you're going for a particular culture. For instance, if you're a fashion company, you probably want to hire people that are actually passionate about fashion. It's good to have people with different ideas, but generally they should have a shared common interest. With that shared interest, you can build a culture that your team members and customers can get behind." -- Andy Karuza, Brandbuddee

7. Compensation is the only motivator

"Once they reach a certain salary, most non-sales employees could honestly care less about additional compensation. Employees work to feel needed, so remind them that they are your company. Recognize them, and make it public recognition." -- Justin Gray, LeadMD

One reference that caught Sokolowski's eye is from a book called "How Google Works," which includes a description of a software fix by a few engineers that made ads more relevant on the search engine:

"It wasn't Google's culture that turned those five engineers into problem-solving ninjas who changed the course of the company over the weekend," wrote the authors, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former head of product development Jonathan Rosenberg. "Rather it was the culture that attracted the ninjas to the company in the first place."

While these seven phrases are completely fabricated, the idea that culture is the key element to a successful business is 100 percent true. It's not just the people, but also their actions and so much more. Keep this in mind and you'll be part of the true meaning of this year's most popular word.  

For more information on how to build a team the right way, click here. 

A company can't be successful without talented people. They are the building blocks of the majority of businesses around the word. Hiring managers should be prepared to bring in motivated new hired and often as possible. In nearly every non-seasonal work atmosphere, there is no such thing as a down time when it comes to recruiting. A manager who dismisses this kind of talent regularly, is doing a disservice to his or her company.

A one-of-a-kind applicant can walk in the door at any time. Don't make the mistake and pass them up. 

Here are four reasons why you should always be hiring at your dealership. 

1. Increase your talent pool

Unfortunately, very few HR specialists can say that their staff couldn't be better. If you're one of them, it probably took you a significant amount of time and hard work to get there. Bringing in new hires frequently boosts employee motivation and creates a sense of competition around the office. The more this happens, the more your dealership will grow and the more successful it will be. 

2. Expect the unexpected

Don't sit back and relax. Before you know it, you'll look around and realize you're extremely understaffed. Say you have more than enough employees one month. That can all change in the blink of an eye. Things happen and people quit. Or get fired. By keeping your options open and having a ton of applicants to chose from, you're immediately prepared to hire someone the second that issue arises. 

3. Shorten your entire process

Keeping an endless supply of applicants at your fingertips will shorten your entire process. You won't have to go through the hassle of re-building your job profile, customizing your interview questions, sourcing candidates, and pre-screening  your applicants.

4. Take some work off your shoulders

One of the biggest struggles among managers is handing their work off to others. They may feel like they could do a better job if they just did the work themselves or perhaps it'd get done in half the time. Most likely, the work isn't going to slow down and you'll eventually get overwhelmed. By constantly hiring, you'll increase the size of your staff and have more people there to help you when you need it most. 

There's really no reason why you shouldn't be recruiting all the time. Increase your talent, have backups ready for when you need them, shorten your whole method and spread extra work among your team members. These actions will only benefit your auto dealership as a whole. Don't miss out on your next superstar employee!

A company can't be successful without talented people. They are the building blocks of the majority of businesses around the word. Hiring managers should be prepared to bring in motivated new hired and often as possible. In nearly every non-seasonal work atmosphere, there is no such thing as a down time when it comes to recruiting. A manager who dismisses this kind of talent regularly, is doing a disservice to his or her company.

A one-of-a-kind applicant can walk in the door at any time. Don't make the mistake and pass them up. 

Here are four reasons why you should always be hiring at your dealership. 

1. Increase your talent pool

Unfortunately, very few HR specialists can say that their staff couldn't be better. If you're one of them, it probably took you a significant amount of time and hard work to get there. Bringing in new hires frequently boosts employee motivation and creates a sense of competition around the office. The more this happens, the more your dealership will grow and the more successful it will be. 

2. Expect the unexpected

Don't sit back and relax. Before you know it, you'll look around and realize you're extremely understaffed. Say you have more than enough employees one month. That can all change in the blink of an eye. Things happen and people quit. Or get fired. By keeping your options open and having a ton of applicants to chose from, you're immediately prepared to hire someone the second that issue arises. 

3. Shorten your entire process

Keeping an endless supply of applicants at your fingertips will shorten your entire process. You won't have to go through the hassle of re-building your job profile, customizing your interview questions, sourcing candidates, and pre-screening  your applicants.

4. Take some work off your shoulders

One of the biggest struggles among managers is handing their work off to others. They may feel like they could do a better job if they just did the work themselves or perhaps it'd get done in half the time. Most likely, the work isn't going to slow down and you'll eventually get overwhelmed. By constantly hiring, you'll increase the size of your staff and have more people there to help you when you need it most. 

There's really no reason why you shouldn't be recruiting all the time. Increase your talent, have backups ready for when you need them, shorten your whole method and spread extra work among your team members. These actions will only benefit your auto dealership as a whole. Don't miss out on your next superstar employee!

Thanksgiving Day has come to pass; yet that might not be the same case for your turkey hangover (I know I typically feel full for at least a week after a Thanksgiving dinner). The only positive thing to take away from eating a great holiday meal besides satisfaction for your taste buds would be the leftovers—the glorious evidence of what once was a grand meal. 

Leftovers should be honored for several reasons: they’re resourceful, they help you get the most out of what you spent on your meal and they’re a delicious way to help spread the holiday love to those who might have missed out on your meal (this is pretty much the same as re-gifting if you're tired of eating leftovers—regardless, it's still a nice gift, especially for college kids!). 

The best part about leftovers is that they can be applied to many things in life, including to those in the hiring business. Once you’ve hired an employee, your hiring efforts don’t always end there. Whether you’re hiring the next week or later down the line, it’s crucial to save some things from every interview process no matter the outcome.

Here are three things you should always save and recycle from your interviews with candidates:

Remember: These are keepers! 

1.)  Job Descriptions —once you’ve come up with a creative, enticing way to describe your open position, be sure to save it right away. You never know if and when you’ll be hiring for this position again, so it’s important to save your draft of the description. Also, it will help you write new ones in the future by having a prior job description for a reference.

2.)  Applications —this leftover is usually overlooked by many hiring managers. Always save the applications you receive (unless they’re immediate mismatches) because you never know when you might come across a former applicants’ path again. Some people take longer than others to build their skill sets and therefore, their resumes. Who knows? The next time a former applicant applies, he or she could be the perfect fit for the job at your dealership.

3.)  Personality Skills Tests —always save your skills tests, especially the ones that can cross over various dealerships and give you a general understanding of the candidate and his or her talents.  

In a perfect world, we’d all be saving and recycling as much as possible. Unfortunately, that has yet to be accomplished, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try. Why waste perfectly good material when you don’t have to? Be sure to save most of the documents you use during the interview process. It’ll save you a ton of time during your next interview and it’ll also help you fine-tune your entire candidate selection process—giving you a better view of the candidate each time you hire!

For other ways to save time, money and effort during the interview process, click here. 

Thanksgiving Day has come to pass; yet that might not be the same case for your turkey hangover (I know I typically feel full for at least a week after a Thanksgiving dinner). The only positive thing to take away from eating a great holiday meal besides satisfaction for your taste buds would be the leftovers—the glorious evidence of what once was a grand meal. 

Leftovers should be honored for several reasons: they’re resourceful, they help you get the most out of what you spent on your meal and they’re a delicious way to help spread the holiday love to those who might have missed out on your meal (this is pretty much the same as re-gifting if you're tired of eating leftovers—regardless, it's still a nice gift, especially for college kids!). 

The best part about leftovers is that they can be applied to many things in life, including to those in the hiring business. Once you’ve hired an employee, your hiring efforts don’t always end there. Whether you’re hiring the next week or later down the line, it’s crucial to save some things from every interview process no matter the outcome.

Here are three things you should always save and recycle from your interviews with candidates:

Remember: These are keepers! 

1.)  Job Descriptions —once you’ve come up with a creative, enticing way to describe your open position, be sure to save it right away. You never know if and when you’ll be hiring for this position again, so it’s important to save your draft of the description. Also, it will help you write new ones in the future by having a prior job description for a reference.

2.)  Applications —this leftover is usually overlooked by many hiring managers. Always save the applications you receive (unless they’re immediate mismatches) because you never know when you might come across a former applicants’ path again. Some people take longer than others to build their skill sets and therefore, their resumes. Who knows? The next time a former applicant applies, he or she could be the perfect fit for the job at your dealership.

3.)  Personality Skills Tests —always save your skills tests, especially the ones that can cross over various dealerships and give you a general understanding of the candidate and his or her talents.  

In a perfect world, we’d all be saving and recycling as much as possible. Unfortunately, that has yet to be accomplished, but it doesn’t mean we can’t try. Why waste perfectly good material when you don’t have to? Be sure to save most of the documents you use during the interview process. It’ll save you a ton of time during your next interview and it’ll also help you fine-tune your entire candidate selection process—giving you a better view of the candidate each time you hire!

For other ways to save time, money and effort during the interview process, click here. 

Whether you’re an aging celebrity in Hollywood or the storefront of a 50-year-old mom and pop store, facelifts are sometimes necessary for business. The same can be said about the hiring process at your dealership—if it’s seems outdated, then it’s probably time to restructure your system.  

Old habits die hard, but they can still go away. One of the most unwanted and hardest habits to kick at dealerships everywhere is turnover. According to an annual report conducted by the National Automobile Dealers Association, sales turnover at dealerships is around 62%. Although this is a serious issue amongst dealerships, it doesn’t have to be a permanent one. 

Just like solving any problem, you have to find the source first. Who you hire affects your turnover rate and therefore, makes your hiring process the main source. The first step towards refurbishing the way you operate hiring at your dealerships starts with identifying your main issues.

The following are five signs that will tell you it’s time to update your hiring process:

1.You realize your turnover rate is high, yet you’re not concerned—if you’re worried about making money at your dealership, then you should be concerned about turnover. You actually spend more money on turnover than you ever would if you used a hiring management system. It pays off to research and analyze your potential employees.

2.You’re swimming in a pool of resumes—ok so maybe not an actual pool, but if you have a file packed with resumes, then your process is definitely outdated. Filing folders and cabinets are now obsolete within the world of hiring. Make sure you’re using a hiring platform that allows you to store and review all resumes online. It’s much easier to operate and will help everyone involved in the hiring process get on the same page.

3.Most of your applicants get hired—this is straightforward. If the majority of your applicants are receiving job offers at your dealership, your hiring system is likely flawed. Consider conducting behavioral interviews, interview scorecards and background checks to make sure you’re hiring the right candidates.

4.You’re asking illegal interview questions without knowing it—there are numerous questions that are illegal to ask during interviews, such as “where are you from” or even “do you own a car?” Make sure you are up-to-speed with the law and try using new interview questions that are not only safe to ask, but much more effective as well.

5.You’re hiring on gut feelings—there’s a reason why most companies conduct multiple interviews, tests and background checks. Having an actual hiring system that gives you reliable data on candidates increases your accuracy and therefore, helps lower your turnover rate. If you’ve been relying solely on personal feelings to hire candidates, stop.

Hiring at dealerships is a different process for everyone. Nevertheless, problems such as turnover are common in the industry and there are ways to help fix it. Be sure to evaluate your turnover rate and the way you hire your employees.

These are only a few signals that will tell you it’s time to restructure your hiring process. If you’d like to find more red flags to help improve your hiring efforts, click here.

Whether you’re an aging celebrity in Hollywood or the storefront of a 50-year-old mom and pop store, facelifts are sometimes necessary for business. The same can be said about the hiring process at your dealership—if it’s seems outdated, then it’s probably time to restructure your system.  

Old habits die hard, but they can still go away. One of the most unwanted and hardest habits to kick at dealerships everywhere is turnover. According to an annual report conducted by the National Automobile Dealers Association, sales turnover at dealerships is around 62%. Although this is a serious issue amongst dealerships, it doesn’t have to be a permanent one. 

Just like solving any problem, you have to find the source first. Who you hire affects your turnover rate and therefore, makes your hiring process the main source. The first step towards refurbishing the way you operate hiring at your dealerships starts with identifying your main issues.

The following are five signs that will tell you it’s time to update your hiring process:

1.You realize your turnover rate is high, yet you’re not concerned—if you’re worried about making money at your dealership, then you should be concerned about turnover. You actually spend more money on turnover than you ever would if you used a hiring management system. It pays off to research and analyze your potential employees.

2.You’re swimming in a pool of resumes—ok so maybe not an actual pool, but if you have a file packed with resumes, then your process is definitely outdated. Filing folders and cabinets are now obsolete within the world of hiring. Make sure you’re using a hiring platform that allows you to store and review all resumes online. It’s much easier to operate and will help everyone involved in the hiring process get on the same page.

3.Most of your applicants get hired—this is straightforward. If the majority of your applicants are receiving job offers at your dealership, your hiring system is likely flawed. Consider conducting behavioral interviews, interview scorecards and background checks to make sure you’re hiring the right candidates.

4.You’re asking illegal interview questions without knowing it—there are numerous questions that are illegal to ask during interviews, such as “where are you from” or even “do you own a car?” Make sure you are up-to-speed with the law and try using new interview questions that are not only safe to ask, but much more effective as well.

5.You’re hiring on gut feelings—there’s a reason why most companies conduct multiple interviews, tests and background checks. Having an actual hiring system that gives you reliable data on candidates increases your accuracy and therefore, helps lower your turnover rate. If you’ve been relying solely on personal feelings to hire candidates, stop.

Hiring at dealerships is a different process for everyone. Nevertheless, problems such as turnover are common in the industry and there are ways to help fix it. Be sure to evaluate your turnover rate and the way you hire your employees.

These are only a few signals that will tell you it’s time to restructure your hiring process. If you’d like to find more red flags to help improve your hiring efforts, click here.

Want to hear something crazy? The plot from the movie Armageddon has become a little bit more realistic today. What!? Yes, I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. According to CNN, scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed that the “Philae probe has landed on the surface of a comet.” 

So it’s true, Bruce Willis and a team of oil drillers could potentially land on a comet or asteroid and save the human race, right? Whether or not that could actually ever happen, the mere fact that humans were able to accomplish such a feat is simply amazing. It’s also a good opportunity to realize what we can obtain through great teamwork—sounds cheesy, but it’s true.

Wonderful things happen when a team works well together. It’s been proven by great sports teams of the past, innovative companies that have changed the way we go about our daily lives and instances such as today with the spacecraft landing. Nevertheless, these moments are typically never reached with ease. There are usually problems or hardships that must be overcome in order to reach the main goal. In the corporate world, one of these issues is sales turnover. 

3 Ways To Top Turnover 

Sales turnover is a serious problem for many companies, yet it’s not impossible to overcome. One of the best dealership solutions is to tackle turnover is with fundamental teamwork. Here are some easy ways to build a team of salespeople that will work hard together and enjoy working at your company, all at once—and therefore, help lower turnover: 

1. Choose The Right Candidates—chemistry is essential with teams. Before you can make a team work well together, you have to make sure you’re employing the best-fit people for the job. A simple way to do this is by conducting phone screens and using scorecards during interviews with candidates.
2. Create The Perfect Environment—it’s hard to accomplish something special if negative energy or a boring atmosphere surrounds you. If you expect your employees to come to work each day with a positive mindset and high energy, you better be creating an enjoyable work culture. Every business is different, so there are countless ways to create the perfect culture. A few ways to set the best stage for your employees to work in are by implementing a flexible work schedule, casual dress code or by starting company rituals that are unique to you and your employees.
3. Team Bonding—if you’ve ever been part of a team before, you’ll know how important chemistry is between teammates. If you want to succeed together, you have to trust one another. Make sure you spend time out of the office with your sales team. Going out for dinner, bowling or a sports game are all fun ways to help get your team to know one another and bond. Do this and your employees are bound to work better together.

So what’s the main lesson here? Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck could potentially blast off into outer space and land on an apocalyptic asteroid to save mankind someday, yes. But also that they or the brilliant scientists at the ESA, NASA, etc. could never accomplish the astounding work they do if it wasn’t for their fantastic teamwork.

The same goes for those in the auto industry looking for dealership solutions. Turnover is a tough obstacle to overcome if you’re constantly losing employees. Therefore, the best way to combat that is by hiring the right people who work well together and are able to succeed at your company for the long run.